Gibraltar
Insiders wonder if Gibraltar’s incoming police chief will be able to swim with the Rock’s sharks
THE triumphant announcement of a new Commissioner of Police for Gibraltar after an exhaustive selection process has been darkened by the return of the McGrail inquiry this week.
Commander Owain Ceri Richards will take the hot seat from the retiring Richard Ullger in July with a daunting in-tray of challenges to overcome.
The decision to hire an outsider seems to have been met with approval from all sides, with the Chief Minister having expressed a preference for hiring an external commissioner.
The first non-Gibraltarian to run the post since 1997, he will arrive with 30 years of policing experience under his belt – including working with small communities in his native Wales and tackling street crime with the Metropolitan Police in London.
READ MORE: ‘Where’s the missing police Whatsapps?’ Gibraltar’s McGrail inquiry comes back with a bang
But the Welshman will be following a prickly path that saw both previous CoP Ian McGrail forced to retire early in 2020 and incumbent Ullger face allegations of impropriety – of which he was cleared.
The ghost of McGrail and the end his career met at the hands of the notorious Operation Delhi will be hanging over Richards from the moment he takes the reins on July 1.
With the McGrail inquiry reconvening and a host of barristers flying into the Rock this week to duke it out in the Garrison Library over the former police commissioner’s early retirement, it underlines how policing in Gibraltar is not always a matter of patrolling the streets.
“Does his experience make him of the calibre required for policing a place like Gibraltar?” one senior figure on the Rock asked.
“Is he going to look at what happened in the past? You need to look at the past because otherwise the same problems can happen again.
“So the question is, is he going to grasp the nettle and look at what happened to the police in the last five years?
“Maybe he’s going to be naive and try to avoid trouble, which is fair enough.
“But I think he should grasp the nettle.”
One individual with knowledge of the recruitment process assured the Olive Press that Richards is well-equipped to ‘swim with Gibraltar’s sharks’ and has plenty of experience beyond street-level crime.
Of five or six candidates who were under consideration, Richards was ‘clearly the standout front runner from the start’ as someone who had ‘managed to navigate the Metropolitan police successfully – which has not been without its own problems.’
“This is a highly successful officer who has experience of not just financial crime, but also cutting edge policing in cyber crime and economic fraud,” the source said.
“Richards will rely on his team who certainly have knowledge of the local landscape to navigate Gibraltar.
“He has the skills and the temperament. He’s more than equipped to do the job.”
The new police chief’s immediate challenges will extend far beyond eyeballing the difficulties and pitfalls of his predecessors.
The RGP workforce of roughly 250 officers has been decimated by almost 25% attrition since 2020, according to testimony from the McGrail inquiry.
A combination of retirements – some early – and officers taking up positions in government – some through the McGrail-related ‘witness inducement’ scandal – have taken their toll.
It was alleged during the inquiry that out of 22 officers who had left, 18 took up government employment.
This has led to the closure of the dedicated Drug Squad and the Community Policing Team, the resources from which have been redirected to combating economic and cyber-enabled financial crime, as well as the Safeguarding team.
THE ALMADRABA tuna fishing campaign officially got underway on Monday, with the first Atlantic bluefin tuna being hoisted onto the decks of the fishing trawlers off the coast of Barbate in Cádiz province.
Fishermen working for Petaca Chico, the company that operates the largest of the four remaining almadrabas in Cádiz, successfully hauled in around 80 Atlantic bluefin tuna during the opening catch.
Using an ancient and sustainable technique that dates back over 3,000 years, they lured the powerful fish into a complex maze of nets, before divers armed with spearguns entered the water to deliver a swift, humane shot to each specimen.
READ MORE: Summer is set to arrive with a bang in Spain’s Malaga with highs of 30C – Olive Press News Spain
Some of the tuna caught during this first haul weighed over 400 kilograms. Once secured, the fish were rapidly transported to shore to be processed and sold fresh.
But the tuna season also brings a rather unwelcome guest back to the Strait of Gibraltar: orcas.
These intelligent marine predators are known to follow the migratory path of the Atlantic bluefin tuna and ‘attack’ small boats.
Just last week, another orca encounter occurred off the coast of Tarifa, where an Italian sailing vessel was ‘attacked’ by a pod of orcas.
The orcas ‘play’ with small boats, aiming for the rudders with their heads in their aquatic football game, and in many cases causing damage to the boats.
The skipper of the sailing vessel had to contact emergency services because his rudder was destroyed by the orcas’ game.
These incidents are becoming increasingly frequent, particularly around the Strait, where encounters between boats and orcas have risen sharply since 2020.
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Yachtie warns of killing orca ‘with a tear in my eye’ if dangerous interactions in the Strait of Gibraltar are not tackled this summer – Olive Press News Spain
While no fatalities have occurred, the damage to vessels can be significant, and the fear among sailors is growing.
Some local captains are now threatening to take matters into their own hands, with one even suggesting killing an orca to ‘teach them a lesson’ if authorities fail to intervene.
The orcas hurt the local economy, because many sailors are hesitant to get on the water again with their vessels, afraid that they will fall victim to the orcas’ damaging game.
With summer approaching, concerns are mounting over a possible surge in orca encounters, which could have negative effects for tourism and the broader maritime industry in the region.
Whether local or national authorities will implement measures to address the situation remains to be seen.
almadraba
Spain’s Famous Almadraba Tuna Fishing Season Kicks Off In Cadiz This Week – Olive Press News Spain
THE ALMADRABA tuna fishing campaign officially got underway on Monday, with the first Atlantic bluefin tuna being hoisted onto the decks of the fishing trawlers off the coast of Barbate in Cádiz province.
Fishermen working for Petaca Chico, the company that operates the largest of the four remaining almadrabas in Cádiz, successfully hauled in around 80 Atlantic bluefin tuna during the opening catch.
Using an ancient and sustainable technique that dates back over 3,000 years, they lured the powerful fish into a complex maze of nets, before divers armed with spearguns entered the water to deliver a swift, humane shot to each specimen.
But the tuna season also brings a rather unwelcome guest back to the Strait of Gibraltar: orcas.
These intelligent marine predators are known to follow the migratory path of the Atlantic bluefin tuna and ‘attack’ small boats.
Just last week, another orca encounter occurred off the coast of Tarifa, where an Italian sailing vessel was ‘attacked’ by a pod of orcas.
The orcas ‘play’ with small boats, aiming for the rudders with their heads in their aquatic football game, and in many cases causing damage to the boats.
The skipper of the sailing vessel had to contact emergency services because his rudder was destroyed by the orcas’ game.
These incidents are becoming increasingly frequent, particularly around the Strait, where encounters between boats and orcas have risen sharply since 2020.
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Yachtie warns of killing orca ‘with a tear in my eye’ if dangerous interactions in the Strait of Gibraltar are not tackled this summer – Olive Press News Spain
While no fatalities have occurred, the damage to vessels can be significant, and the fear among sailors is growing.
Some local captains are now threatening to take matters into their own hands, with one even suggesting killing an orca to ‘teach them a lesson’ if authorities fail to intervene.
The orcas hurt the local economy, because many sailors are hesitant to get on the water again with their vessels, afraid that they will fall victim to the orcas’ damaging game.
With summer approaching, concerns are mounting over a possible surge in orca encounters, which could have negative effects for tourism and the broader maritime industry in the region.
Whether local or national authorities will implement measures to address the situation remains to be seen.
Cadiz
WATCH: Scientists Are Attaching Cameras To Orcas In The Strait Of Gibraltar Amid Growing Yachtie Anger Over Dangerous ‘interactions’ – Olive Press News Spain
ORCA season is returning to the Strait of Gibraltar and scientists are already working on ways to mitigate their interactions with sail boats amid rising anger from the region’s skippers.
A new campaign to track and protect the endangered Iberian orcas has kicked off from the Cadiz town of Barbate after the first pods were confirmed to have arrived in the Strait.
Conservation group CIRCE has demonstrated their method of firing cameras kitted out with suction cups to harmlessly attach to a killer whale without getting too close.
Known as ‘catcams’, the ambitious monitoring operation combines them with satellite tracking to better understand the behaviour of these curious creatures — especially the ones known for approaching sailing boats.
The campaign comes as part of a growing effort to reduce the number of run-ins between orcas and vessels in the Strait.
These interactions have sparked international headlines in recent years — with orcas damaging rudders and even sinking small yachts with sailors helpless.
“We now know that keeping the boat moving is key,” explained CIRCE researchers.
“Stopping gives orcas more time to push the rudder, which increases the risk of serious damage.”
So far, the team has tracked 42 individual orcas from three major family groups. In total, some 90 have been identified since 1999.
The campaign has three fundamental objectives: reducing encounters between vessels and orcas, minimising impact when encounters occur, and modifying orca behaviour through specific techniques.
Two research vessels will be deployed, including their main boat, Elsa, along with land-based observations to assess the viability of coastal monitoring which could warn sailboats of orca presence.
New safe navigation routes have already been mapped, based on predictive models and past tracking data — and appear to be working.
Orca interactions dropped by 70% last year, with just two reported so far in 2025 according to CIRCE, while the Cruising Association put the figure at eight – and none since February.
Anecdotally, the Olive Press knows of one catamaran that has been damaged by orca strikes in the last four weeks.
CIRCE will be hosting talks at marinas and sailing clubs around the Strait to share advice with skippers.
They also hope to spot orcas from the coastline and issue real-time alerts to nearby vessels.
The announcement comes after the Olive Press reported rising anger among captains and skippers at the lack of progress made in tackling the orca strikes.
They have even warned that the first orca could be killed this summer if solutions are not found.
Yassine Darkaoui, a sailor who runs a repair shop in Tangier, told the Olive Press he has fixed the rudders of three separate vessels after orca interactions in the past year alone.
“I meet a lot of sailors and many of them tell me they are prepared to shoot these motherf***ers if they come and try to harm their boats or even endanger their families,” said Darkaoui, who has had to shelve plans to open a sailing centre in Tangier because of the orcas.
“Some guys invested their life savings in their boat; for them it is their home and their business.
“So when you see that you are being attacked by those beautiful monsters, it will lead to people shooting at them.
“People are thinking that, because they’re so smart, they can teach these animals to leave them alone by killing one, which for me is not the best solution.”
“But it is just a matter of time – and not much time. Summer is coming, the tuna migration begins soon, and the orcas are coming back.
“But let me tell you, if I kill an orca, I will kill it with a tear in my eye.”
The Iberian orca is a protected species, and the maximum punishment under Spanish law for harming – or killing one – is two years in prison.
But sailors have already been known to throw firecrackers and rice overboard at the orcas, which are sensitive to loud noises.
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